It makes you wonder how major club managers can possibly juggle the commitments of their admittedly large squads. Just look at what Sir Alex Ferguson is up against for the rest of this year following Sundays home clash with Arsenal. It’s enough to give anyone nightmares as key players travel across the world for international duties on no less than three occasions. That’s on top of a heavy domestic and Champion League schedule but Sir Alex is of course not the only one facing this dilemma, many leading Premier League and European club bosses have to somehow wrestle with the same problem. It’s little wonder that so called super squads are no longer a luxury but an absolute must if clubs are to have any hope of winning silverware.

INTERNATIONAL WEEK

Sat Sep 10 – AWAY Bolton

Wed Sep 14 – AWAY Benfica

Sun Sep 18 – HOME Chelsea

Tues 20/Wed 21 Sep – AWAY Leeds, Carling Cup

Sat Sep 24 – AWAY Stoke

Tues Sep 27 – HOME Basel

Sat Oct 1 – HOME Norwich

INTERNATIONAL WEEK

Sat Oct 15 – AWAY Liverpool

Tues Oct 18 – AWAY Otelul Galati

Sun Oct 23 – HOME ManchesterCity

Sat Oct 29 – AWAY Everton

Wed Nov 2 – HOME Otelul Galati

Sat Nov 5 – HOME Sunderland

INTERNATIONAL WEEK

Sat Nov 19 – AWAY Swansea

Tues Nov 22 – HOME Benfica

Sat Nov 26 – HOME Newcastle

Sat Dec 3 – AWAY Aston Villa

Wed Dec 7 – AWAY Basel

Sat Dec 10 – HOME Wolves

Sat Dec 17 – AWAY Queens Park Rangers

Wed Dec 21 – AWAY Fulham

Mon Dec 26 – HOME Wigan

Sat Dec 31 – HOME Blackburn

Ferguson has faced this sort of schedule for a quarter of a century which must give United a decided advantage in the race for Premier League points. With all due respect to his two most experienced rivals, neither Arsenals Arsene Wenger nor Liverpools Kenny Dalglish can even come close!